MANHATTAN (PIX11) — The man accused of pushing a woman to her death in front of a train at the Times Square subway station on Saturday was out on parole for a previous violent crime, according to the Manhattan assistant district attorney.
Simon Martial, 61, was arraigned Wednesday morning and hit with a second-degree murder charge in the alleged subway shoving of 40-year-old Michelle Alyssa Go, officials said.
ADA Hunter Carrell said Martial admitted his guilt in three separate conversations with transit officers, detectives and officials. Additionally, surveillance video placed him at the scene and an eye witness to the deadly push identified him, she said.
Charging papers identified the defendant as Simon Martial, but a spokesperson for New York County Defenders Services, which is representing the suspect, said his name is Martial Simon.
Carrell and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell have said the attack was unprovoked. The ADA said they were still investigating to determine if the deadly push was at all motivated by racial bias, as Go was Asian.
Carrell revealed that Martial had been convicted of two prior violent felonies — attempted robberies in 1999 and 2019. At the time of his arrest in last weekend’s deadly attack, there was a warrant out for Martial’s arrest for violating his parole, the ADA said.
She recommended on Wednesday that Martial be remanded due to his history of not abiding by the terms of his release following his previous convictions. The judge agreed and ordered the defendant to be held without bail, while also ordering him to undergo a mental fitness exam, officials said.
According to the ADA, Go was headed to work and looking down at her phone as she waited for the train when Martial shoved her from behind with both hands, just as a train was passing by. She was struck by the train and was then run over, authorities said.
Responding officers found her lying on the tracks, unconscious with trauma to her body, police said at the time. EMS pronounced her dead at the scene.
The defendant’s next court date was scheduled for Feb. 23, according to the ADA’s office.
